Falnorian Cuisine: Gildmar

Gildmari cuisine is shaped by several key elements: a hot, arid climate, pickling and salting as preferred preservation methods, and ready access to salt and a variety of spices. Food in Gildmar tends to be marked by pungent and spicy flavors and a great deal of meat, dairy, or other protein items

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Ingredients

Given its desert climate, many crops are challenging to grow in Gildmar. Most agriculture takes place in northern Gildmar where the weather is slightly cooler and water is more readily accessible; even so, most crops grown are drought-tolerant. Wheat and lentils make up the bulk of staple crops. Common vegetables include onions, garlic, peppers (both sweet and spicy), chickpeas, and squashes and gourds; and, in the northernmost or costal regions of Gildmar, cabbage and tomatoes as well. As for fruits and nuts, walnuts, pistachios, and dates are all commonly grown as well.

Livestock tend to fare better than crops in Gildmar, as they can graze in areas unsuitable for agriculture. Cows and ostriches are the preferred form of livestock, and cow herding takes up a great deal of space in central Gildmar. Chickens are often kept both for meat and eggs by poorer families or families living in urban environments. In the most remote areas of Gildmar, goats tend to be most popular since they are hardy, adaptable, and ready to eat almost anything. Game meat is also readily available: while not all species in the Wildlands are edible, those which are are also a frequent source of meat for those living nearby. Consumption of organ meat as well as muscle meat is common. Dairy, mostly from cows or goats, is also common in the form of yogurt, cheese, or alcoholic drinks.

Despite its status being one of the only two Falnorian nations with access to the ocean, fish tends to be unpopular in Gildmar. Most of its fish is preserved and exported to other nations rather than consumed by its people. What does get used in great quantity is salt: Gildmar harvests a great deal of salt from the ocean and uses it heavily both as a preservative and in many of its dishes. People from other nations may at times find Gildmari cuisine overly salty to the point of unpalatable.

Regarding spices, fennel is a favorite so far as Gildmari cuisine is concerned: it grows widely and is easily-accessible to most people. Chili peppers are also popular, and a wide variety of chilis are grown in Gildmar; spicy foods are popular as a way to induce sweating and combat the desert heat. Other popular spices include black pepper, cumin, mustard, dill, fenugreek, ginger, turmeric, and curry.

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Staple Dishes

There are several staple dishes in Gildmari cuisine: flatbreads, pickles, curries, and pasta.

Flatbreads are a common accompaniment to most meals, and are served both plain and stuffed with a variety of fillings. The most common filling is a chickpea and onion paste; other popular fillings include cheese, squash, or (as a dessert) dates and nuts. Unfilled flatbreads are sometimes folded and used to make sandwiches, or may be dipped into flavored oil or various sauces as a snack.

Pickling, because of the pungent flavors it imparts into food, is a popular way to consume vegetables in particular. One of the most signature Gildmari vegetable dishes is pickled fennel cabbage; it can be found as a side to meals in most places. Other popular candidates for pickling are garlic, peppers (both sweet and spicy), carrots, cucumbers, and watermelon (when available). There are a wide variety of pickling brines used, many of which tend salty or spicy.

Curries are one of the most common main dishes served during sit-down meals in Gildmar. Most curries feature  a cut of meat stewed with two to three other vegetables. Common spices in lower classes include fennel, ginger, and chilis; while higher classes may use a wider variety of spices in their curries.

Pasta is found almost exclusively in Gildmar. It is most widely consumed as couscous and used as an accompaniment to Gildmari curries; shaped pasta is by and large found only in northern Gildmar, where most pasta is made, and even then mostly by upper classes.

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Example Dishes

These dishes are listed under the categories of meals in the rulebook – basic, decent, and fine.

Basic Meal

• Chopped Game Meat; fried with onions and fennel.
• Lentil Stew; with onions and meat scraps.
• Goat or Chicken Kebabs; with bell peppers, okra, and onions.
  • Sides: Plain Flatbread, Pickled Fennel Cabbage, Hard-Boiled Eggs
  • Drinks: Kumis, Watered-Down Beer

Decent Meal

• Stuffed Chili Peppers; with ground meat, onions, and cheese.
• Okra Curry; with onions, peppers, tomatoes; vinegar, ginger, chilis, cumin.
• Goat and Squash Curry; with onions, cabbage; ginger, chilis, turmeric.
  • Sides: Stuffed Flatbread (chickpea-onion), Pickled Fennel Vegetables
  • Drinks: Kumis, Beer.

Fine Meal

• Beef Strip Noodles; with onions and a garlic-chili sauce.
• Ostrich Steak; marinated in red wine, rubbed with cumin, black pepper, and honey.
• Beef Curry; with onions, chilis; cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin.
  • Sides: Candied Dates, Stuffed Flatbread (Spiced Chickpeas),
  • Drinks: Dark Beer, Imported Ardellian Wine.